How DARE You???

 

Friends, a Minnesota Congressman named Dean Phillips (who the heck is he?) has decided to throw caution to the wind and challenge Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2024.  Dem insiders and party hacks are contemptuous, naturally, which is exactly what you'd expect them to be as long as Phillips is behind in the polls.  But -- and it's a big "but" -- the hunger among Democrats and progressives for an alternative to old man Biden is so great that Phillips might just have a chance, or he could cause Biden to stumble and more people to enter the race.  Truth be told, Biden isn't written in stone until the Democratic National Convention chooses him as the presidential nominee, and even then there are some neat tricks that could flip the script.  Remember, it's the electoral college that chooses the president, meaning the electors themselves.  Assuming they're loyal Democrats, they'll vote for whomever the party establishment wants them to.  For now, that's Joe Biden.  A month from now, or a year from now, it could be someone different.  Anyway, the story of how Phillips got to this place is an interesting one, and you can bet your bottom dollar that, from this point on, the Dem hate machine will be working feverishly to discredit and vilify him.  He's a brave man -- and, one suspects, one destined someday soon to work in the private sector, once the ossified Democratic ruling class spits him up and crushes all his hopes and dreams.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/-head-scratcher-dems-baffled-dean-phillips-quixotic-bid-biden-rcna122506

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/dean-phillips-has-a-warning-for-democrats/ar-AA1iX0dQ

In other news, the U.S. and the U.K. are both working hard to set limits on the advance of A.I. technology, which of course many people will support, although to me a lot of the "initiatives" recently announced by the Biden Administration sound like pure fluff.  The main threat that A.I. poses, for now, is that it will make it far easier to mislead the public, and that's an agenda that Joe Biden and most establishment figures wholeheartedly support, although they would never admit it.  My guess is that government won't be the solution to our concerns about A.I. -- it will, instead, be at the very heart of the problem.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67261284

Patriotism, Yes -- Patriot Act, No!

 

Friends, this week's Newsmaker Show reaches back into history to recall our obsession with terrorism in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and our decision to expand the "surveillance state" and curtail civil liberties to deal with the looming threat.  We ask, not surprisingly, whether some of the same mistakes may be repeated now that Hamas has caught Israel napping...

In addition, Brian and I cover many of the hot-button issues in the news today, including the House Speakership controversy (we recorded the interview before Mike Johnson's coup de main), the massive lawsuit targeting Meta for its supposed subversion of kids' "mental health", the social phenomenon of TikTok, the Biden Administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, and the poor showing of Joe Biden in the polls, even in deep blue NYS.

It's a tour de force as usual, folks!  Don't miss it.

https://wlea.net/newsmaker-october-26-2023-dr-nick-waddy/

 

***

 

And hearty congrats to our new House Speaker, Representative Mike Johnson of the great state of Louisiana!!!  I don't know much about Mike, but I do know that his first name isn't Hakeem, and that seems like a good sign.

 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/republicans-elect-mike-johnson-as-speaker 

https://rollcall.com/2023/10/25/johnsons-quick-but-patient-rise-to-the-speaker-nomination/

Harken to the Prophet

 

Friends, Elon Musk, wise man, is warning us that we may be careening towards World War III -- and, what's more, it could be the last war that humans ever fight.  Alternatively, it could be a war that America loses, given the massive changes in the economic/industrial balance of power that have transpired in the last few decades.  Complacency is enemy number one, for the Israelis and for us.

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/elonmusk-war-ukraine/2023/10/24/id/1139490/

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2023/10/25/elon_musk_the_risk_of_world_war_three_is_increasing_rapidly.html

In other news, the progressives' fever dream of EVs for everyone is running up against some very practical constraints and limitations.  It gives one pause, and it makes it hard to believe that this massive transition could be made in the record time that lefties' have in mind.

https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2023/10/24/mega-jolt_the_costs_and_logistics_of_plugging_in_evs_are_about_to_become_supercharged_987493.html#/find/nearest?country=US

The X Factor(s)

 

Friends, two very interesting polls have been released in recent days, which give us our first taste of a Trump-Biden-Kennedy-West matchup.  The upshot of this scenario is that there is zero evidence that Trump performs worse in a four-way race, and some significant evidence that he performs better.  The key, in many ways, is West, who has the ability to do serious harm to Biden's candidacy.  RFK, Jr., by contrast, has a more ambiguous effect.  Keep in mind that we still don't know if there will be a centrist "No Labels" candidate, but if there is then such a scenario could become even bleaker for Biden.  A Green Party candidate and a Libertarian Party candidate will presumably also be in the mix.  So...a seven-way race for the presidency?  Why not?  We don't know, of course, whether Americans will perceive it that way.  The two major parties will work feverishly, along with their media allies, to convince voters that a vote for anyone other than Trump or Biden would be a giant waste.  That's generally worked in the past, but this time?  Hmm.  Just as important as these national numbers, I hasten to add, is how the hydra-headed presidential election turns out in the key swing states.  RFK, Jr., for instance, might help Biden a little in the national popular vote, but that doesn't mean that will be the case in Nevada, or Michigan, or New Hampshire.  Only time will tell.

https://harvardharrispoll.com/key-results-october-4/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2023/10/23/biden-trump-rfk-jr-poll/71281814007/

Speaking of 2024, efforts to exclude Trump from the ballot in Colorado are rapidly coming to a head.  The lefty judge in the case will almost certainly show DJT the door, but what the State Supreme Court or SCOTUS will do remains to be seen.  I strongly suspect that Trump will remain on the ballot, at the end of the day, but that doesn't mean that every third party or independent candidate will make it on to every state ballot -- and these omissions could be as decisive to the outcome as any other factor (mark my words!).

https://www.breitbart.com/2024-election/2023/10/23/democrat-appointed-colorado-judge-green-lights-effort-to-kick-trump-off-2024-ballot/

Speak to the Hand!

 

Friends, the dastardly Dems and their allies in the media are beside themselves with worry because our august House of Representatives has ground to a halt.  "Democracy" is on the brink, don't you know!  My latest article reveals the hollowness of the Left's talking points re: the battle for the Speakership.

https://townhall.com/columnists/nicholaswaddy/2023/10/21/no-speaker-no-problem-n2630161

 

In other news, one of the many judges in one of the many trials that DJT is now undergoing has threatened him with imprisonment, a couple of times in one day!  And this, I think, is where American politics is headed: Trump will be jailed, initially for "contempt", and probably later on because he's been convicted of any number of bogus crimes, thus preventing him from campaigning effectively for the presidency; and, moreover, the legal action(s) against him will be used to justify efforts to exclude him from the ballot, or to throw out the votes that are cast for him.  All this will seem transparently political, opportunistic, ruthless, and anti-democratic to Republicans and conservatives, but equally reasonable and fair-minded to Trump haters.  The key question is: how will middle-of-the-road independents and swing voters react?  So far they've been filled with ennui regarding the melodrama of The United States vs. Donald J. Trump, but later on who can say how they will actually vote.  And, even if they did vote for Trump, would it matter if enough jurisdictions and/or states discounted their ballots?  That could render the whole election a moot point.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67175328

 

Finally, the fiscal health of our nation continues to deteriorate, and all the while we're told how Bidenomics has uplifted us to undreamed of economic heights.  Still, perceptions of economic adversity are all relative, and it's not clear that the American people are anxious enough about the economy to propel DJT, or any Republican, to victory.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2023/10/20/budget-deficit-rises-to-1-7-trillion/ 

We'll Always Have Alaska...

 

Friends, devious, bloodthirsty supervillain Vladimir Putin is on the cusp of conquering the noble Ukrainian people, and thereafter rolling his tanks into Berlin and Paris, but one thing is for sure: he won't get his diabolical hands on the ice fields of Alaska, because -- thank God! -- our check cleared in 1867, so we own it.  The U.S. purchase of Alaska is just one of several interesting historical themes that we cover on this week's Newsmaker Show with me and Brian O'Neil.  We also discuss "shell shock" in WWI and how it reshaped our understanding of courage and cowardice in modern war, the sterling acting career of Sir Michael Caine, the dynamics of "Iran-Contra", and Napoleon's disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812.

In terms of current events, Brian and I hash over the interminable battle for the Speakership of the House of Representatives, the border crisis and its political fallout, the dangers of escalation in the Middle East and Ukraine, the sad fate of George Santos, and the evolving Russian-Chinese partnership and the degree of threat that Americans should perceive in it.

It's a show that rises to the very high standard that Brian and I have set heretofore...  Truly, you are blessed to have the opportunity to listen to it!  Might this prove, therefore, that we really do live in the best of all possible worlds?  Hmm.  Could be. 

https://wlea.net/newsmaker-october-18-2023-dr-nick-waddy/

Tactical Retreat

 

Friends, thousands of charging Zulus don't faze Sir Michael Caine, eminent British actor, but old age apparently does.  He's exiting the stage for the last time and retiring from the acting profession.  Farewell, therefore, to a class act and a truly great Thespian.  

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2023/10/16/sir-michael-caine-retires-from-acting-at-age-90-ive-got-wonderful-reviews/

In other news, home sales are down and so, for the first time in ages, is rent.  I find it extraordinary that the median rent in America is over $2,000!!!  That's a lot for ordinary mortals to shell out.  On the other hand, it also tells you something about how broadly prosperous America is.

https://www.newsmax.com/finance/streettalk/rent-inflation-census-bureau/2023/10/16/id/1138441/

Finally, kudos to Australia and New Zealand, both of which gave a shot in the arm to the political right on Saturday.  Australia rejected constitutional changes that would have promoted identity politics and given separate representation to the Aborigines.  New Zealand rejected an incumbent Labour administration that inflicted on hapless Kiwis some of the most draconian COVID policies in the entire world.  Needless to say, the global media is miffed -- and that's a sign that democracy still works, once in a while.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/victories-for-common-sense-in-new-zealand-and-australia-politics-crime-aborigines-labour-655ca2db?mod=opinion_lead_pos3

Idiocracy

 

Friends, in a very worrying sign for our country's future, standardized test scores are continuing to tumble -- and we should bear in mind that fewer students are taking the SAT and ACT, and we can safely assume that those who aren't taking it are even dimmer than those who are!  So, in a nutshell, we is dumb, and we is getting dumber all the time.

https://www.newsmax.com/us/act-sat-education/2023/10/11/id/1137861/

In Israel, they've formed a "unity government" to deal with the Hamas offensive.  That's remarkable, because just days ago Israeli politicians were at each other's throats, accusing one another of undermining "democracy", whatever that is.  A notable casualty of Hamas' aggression, therefore, may be the conservative government's program of judicial reforms.  Or maybe the government's hand will ultimately be strengthened?  We shall see.

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2023/10/11/netanyahu-gantz-form-unity-government-in-israel-hamas-fires-rockets-at-tel-aviv/

Poor George Santos has been hit with about two dozen new federal charges, which will be added onto the charges he was already facing.  It's quite an avalanche of judicial scrutiny for the New York Republican!  As we all know, Santos' real crime was winning a seat that Democrats thought was safe for them.  From that point on, he's been hounded by the media and by the DOJ.  If he'd just been a good boy and lost, no one would have bothered him.  Be all this as it may, Santos appears to be a crook, or at least a serial liar and a cheat.  On second thought, maybe Congress is exactly where he belongs!

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67073935

And that's not all!!!  You've also got this week's Newsmaker Show with me and Brian O'Neil to engross you, covering everything from the Israel-Hamas conflict to the trials and tribulations of Will Hurd.  It's not be missed!

https://wlea.net/newsmaker-october-11-2023-dr-nick-waddy/

The Best of Us vs. The Rest of Us?

 

Friends, today I share with you a very interesting article about Thomas Jefferson's idea that America should be led by a "natural aristocracy" of men (and possibly some women) of extraordinary virtue and merit.  This elite should not be based on birth, of course, but on personal excellence.  Well, that's all well and good, but who's to say who among us is virtuous, or wise, or talented, or naturally disposed to leadership?  And, once someone has claimed the mantle of leadership, what's to stop them from ossifying the power structure, and jealously guarding their status and privileges and handing them on to their (potentially unworthy) offpsring?  Not much, as it turns out.  And, in the final analysis, should we be led by an elite at all?  Isn't that "undemocratic", i.e. the very antithesis of what America stands for?  So many of the key conflicts in modern America can be read as the establishment versus the people, or "expert-led" progressivism versus conservative populism, or (top-down) science versus (bottom-up) religiosity.  I don't claim to have all the answers to these vexing questions, but it seems to me that we Americans are a long, long way from sorting out just who should be in charge, and why, and how.  Granted, we all need leaders, but which leaders, and how shall they be chosen?  Jefferson, I think, was naive in suggesting that this natural aristocracy would bubble up to the surface on its own.  I submit that it's a lot more complicated than that!

https://blog.joelonsdale.com/p/jefferson-and-americas-lost-idea

 

In other news, Hamas has attacked Israel from its bases in the Gaza Strip, and the Israelis are reeling as they haven't since the Yom Kippur War of 1973.  No doubt the IDF is very capable of bringing the matter in hand, but these developments cast into doubt the competence of Israel's political and military leadership -- and may also be a reflection on President Biden's recent decision to pay off Hamas' backers, the Iranians.  DJT says that all this proves that Joe Biden has brought us perilously close to WWIII.  Well, I dunno about that.  If our opponents in WWIII are going to be Hamas militants, I'd say we're in pretty good shape.  But if our opponents in WWIII are going to be nuclear-armed Russians, then the stakes just got a lot higher!  Trump is right that only a  fool could suggest that the world has grown more stable, peaceful, or prosperous since Biden took the helm in the USA.

 

https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2 

https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/donald-trump-iowa-world-war-iii/2023/10/07/id/1137406/

 

Finally, here's some intriguing speculation on how life might...distribute itself about the galaxy.  It certainly is one of, uhh, life's great questions: how prevalent is organic (or non-organic) life in the Milky Way?  Who knows -- perhaps in the years ahead we may finally found out.

 

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231006-how-life-might-hitchhike-its-way-through-the-galaxy 

Build It, and Maybe They Won't Come?

 

Friends, in his own idiosyncratic take on "Field of (Crushing Refugees') Dreams", President Biden has decided that building a wall on our border with Mexico is...while still a bad idea, something he's willing to try anyway.  Talk about political courage!  My latest article examines the political fallout that's sure to come from this about-face:

https://www.wnd.com/2023/10/build-wall-back-better/

***

In other news, here's a very witty piece that tackles the corrupt, inside-the-Beltway campaign against Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), which I've written about before:

https://amgreatness.com/2023/10/06/congress-must-stop-tangoing-with-opioid-pushers/